On 29 March 2016, Marc Garneau’s Tier 2 curling teams played their final games at Leaside Curling Club, concluding a season that commenced in November. Two of the three Tier 2 teams, specifically Girl’s A and Boy’s, played for third place, while the last team, Girl’s B, competed in the finals.
The Girl’s A team marginally lost their semifinal against the curling team from Victoria Park Collegiate Institute. They competed for the bronze medal against Albert Campbell C.I. The team, composed of grade 11 students, beat Albert Campbell by 7 points, winning a bronze medal.
The other team playing for a bronze medal, the Boy’s Tier 2 team, had previously lost their semifinal game against Sir John A. Macdonald Collegiate Institute. They competed against the curling team from Albert Campbell, beating them with a score of 9-3, and winning bronze as well.
The last of Marc Garneau’s Tier 2 teams, Girl’s B, composed solely of grade nine students, competed against Victoria Park Collegiate Institute for the gold medal. Although they lost the game by 4 points, the Girl’s B team still got a silver medal as a result of placing second in the league.
MGCI’s Girl’s A Team sweeps a rock in their final Tier 2 game against Albert Campbell C.I. Photo: Cindy Cui
“It felt bad losing after we came so close, but I’m very proud that we made it this far,” says Helen Lin, a player on the Girl’s B team. “I’m looking forward to next year’s season.”
Although the teams only had two practices, the players were able to quickly grasp the concepts of curling with guidance from their coach, Ms. Wiltenburg, and a group of veteran players. The players learned on a range of techniques, ranging from sweeping to skipping, and were able to improve and perfect these skills throughout the season.
“There are a lot more teams this year, so the season went longer than other years. It’s kind of like a blessing in disguise. In a way it’s more work so it gets a bit strenuous to run the league, but on the other hand, a lot more kids are curling,” said Mr. Chan, the organizer of the TDSAA curling season.
Marc Garneau’s curling coach, Ms. Wiltenburg, who was extremely proud of the teams, said, “The season exceeded my expectations. All the teams learned quickly and experienced success on the ice. For beginners, I am amazed at how well everyone is playing. I am also so happy with the enthusiasm for the game.”
Overall, all of Marc Garneau Collegiate Institute’s curling teams, including the Boy’s Tier 1 team, who placed second in the city finals, achieved success throughout this season. With at least a year left to compete as part of the curling team, all the players are looking forward to another successful run in the 2016-2017 curling season.
